How to save when there is nothing left at the end of the monthSaving · 4 minute readSaving whatever is left over does not work, because nothing is ever left over. Move the money first and live on the rest.Almost everyone tries to save the same way: spend the month, then save whatever survives. Nothing survives. The fix is not willpower, it is order.Move the money on payday, not at the endSet up a standing order to a separate account for the day you get paid. The money leaves before you have a chance to spend it, so you never have to make a decision about it.Why a separate account mattersMoney you can see is money you spend. An account you do not carry a card for is money that quietly grows. That is the whole trick, and it works.What to aim for, in order

One month of essential costs, so a broken phone or a car repair does not become debt.

Three months, which is the point at which losing a job stops being a crisis.

Then, and only then, investing — which is a different job with different risks.

Small amounts are not a jokeTwenty pounds a week is more than a thousand pounds a year. The amount matters far less than the habit, because the habit is what is still there in five years.If you are paying interest on a credit card or a buy now pay later balance, clear that first. Saving at four per cent while paying twenty-five per cent is losing money on purpose.More free articles about money, work and business are at The Next Generation Blog.

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